BERLIN, April 6 (Xinhua) -- High energy prices and a shortage of truck drivers are hitting the German transport industry hard, the Federation of German Wholesale, Foreign Trade and Services (BGA) said on Wednesday.
Small and medium-sized companies in Germany in particular are "no longer able to cope with the rising diesel and gas prices," said Carsten Taucke, member of the BGA's Executive Committee. "The decision to reduce the mineral oil tax is a first right step in the right direction," he said. But "that is not enough."
Germany's economy needs "affordable energy prices," Taucke said. "In order not to jeopardize for the supply of the population, a wave of insolvencies in the transport industry must be averted."
Deliveries of timber, steel and aluminum are already being canceled, according to the BGA. Sanctions over the Russia-Ukraine conflict are "affecting supply chains in a region crucial for transportation between Asia and Europe," Taucke said.
This leads to "significant cost increases" due to the need to switch to alternative routes or means of transport, he said. The latest World Container Index, which tracks container freight rates on eight major routes, was up 67 percent year-on-year.
Meanwhile, the German transport sector continues to face staffing shortages. "Many drivers are from Ukraine and Russia," Taucke said. Currently, the country requires 60,000 to 80,000 additional professional drivers. ■